24 Oktober 2018

Stora Enso awarded as Finland’s most startup-friendly company

Stora Enso runs two startup programmes which have produced good results in business development

The renewable materials company Stora Enso has been awarded as the most startup-friendly company in Finland in 2018. The prize was awarded by Tribe Tampere at the AlihankintaHEAT event in Tampere. Stora Enso runs two startup programmes which have produced good results in business development.

“We are very pleased that our systematic and active work with startups is being acknowledged. Through our startup programmes, we are seeking real solutions to promote our business and simultaneously developing the entrepreneurial mindset and work of our own employees,” says Samuli Savo, Chief Digital Officer at Stora Enso.

Two programs, two purposes

Stora Enso’s Accelerator programme involves collaborating with Aalto University Developing Entrepreneurship (Aalto ENT), business accelerator Vertical and the startups that apply for the programme to develop renewable products and innovations. The programme combines partnership with the startups and Stora Enso employees’ business management training. Among the companies that participated in the 2017 programme, Stora Enso has signed co-operation agreements on product development with Finnish startups Sulapac and TRÄ Group. The second round of Stora Enso’s second Accelerator programme will begin in January 2019. The programme will focus on resolving problems related to the circular economy.

Stora Enso is also involved in the Combient Foundry Venture Client programme, which looks for new approaches to utilising emerging technologies in business, such as artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, big data, the Internet of Things, robotics and sensor technology. Among the companies that participated in the Combient programme, Stora Enso has signed a project agreement with the startup 20tree.ai, which worked on the digital inventory of forests. Currently, Stora Enso is seeking digital solutions to promote healthy, safe and affordable living. The next startup challenge will be launched in early 2019.

The award

The award for the most startup-friendly company in Finland is distributed by Tribe Tampere, an open entrepreneurship and startup community located in Tampere. The award acknowledges exceptional actions that large industrial companies in particular undertake to promote startup collaboration and to improve their innovation capacity and their competitiveness. The most startup-friendly company in Finland was awarded for the first time this year.